JBT teachers recruitment scam: Officials turned a blind eye

SummaryThe CBI chargesheet into the JBT recruitment scam clearly mentions that the Chautalas, from the very first day of taking over the reins of Haryana in February 2000, intended to manipulate the results.

The CBI chargesheet into the JBT recruitment scam clearly mentions that the Chautalas, from the very first day of taking over the reins of Haryana in February 2000, intended to manipulate the results.

Before Sanjiv Kumar, director for primary education in the then Om Prakash Chautala government, Chautala, his son Ajay and their two confidants — political adviser Sher Singh Badshami and his OSD Vidya Dhar — had tried to pressure Kumar’s predecessor, 1986-batch IAS officer Rajni Sekhri Sibal. Kumar was also arrested on Wednesday for allegedly conniving with Chautala in changing the interview scores.

And this happened before the very eyes of senior officers. Chautala and his son had held two meetings with Sekhri in the presence of other officers. When she refused to play ball, these officers, rather than supporting her, preferred to keep quiet.

According to the CBI chargesheet, Sibal — the then director (Primary Education) — was pressured to change the interview score list of JBT teachers at the behest of Chautalas. She was called for two meetings along with the then Financial Commissioner (Education) Prem Prashant and then Director (Secondary Education) P K Mahapatra. Ajay and Badshami were also present there. On both occasions, Sibal refused to change the list.

Sibal through an anonymous call was also offered five per cent share of the money collected to manipulate the list. However, she refused.

Eventually, Sibal was shunted out. On July 11, 2000, Kumar was brought in with an understanding that he would change the lists as per the wishes of the Chautalas.